Maleficent sequel announced

$750+ million dollars later, Disney saw one of its biggest releases in recent years with Maleficent. Despite how lousy the movie itself was people did like it and it made a ridiculous amount of box office revenue. Linda Woolverton is returning to write the script and Angelina Jolie is being approached to reprise her role as the classic villain.


Maleficent was sort of a character origins story. It followed the villain and we got to see how she became so evil and essentially painted her in a sympathetic light. Especially as we got to see her develop a rather loving relationship with Princess Aurora. I personally didn't like it one bit.
However, it is worth mentioning that Jolie is practically impossible to nail down for sequels. Aside from voice work in Kung Fu Panda and Kung Fu Panda 2, she hasn't been in a sequel since reprising the role of Lara Croft in Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life back in 2003. She declined sequels for Wanted and Salt and has since moved on to more directing than acting. I would assume that a Maleficent sequel depends on her returning so if she declines I would think Disney will scrap it or completely reinvent it once again.

The Good Dinosaur drops entire voice cast

The voice cast for Pixar's The Good Dinosaur was looking pretty awesome. That is until practically the entire voice cast was dropped and replaced.

The cast which previously included Reese Witherspoon, Bill Hader, John Lithgow, Neil Patrick Harris, Judy Greer, Lucas Leff, and Frances McDormand has been completely dropped with the exception of McDormand. The new voice cast is as follows:




Raymond Ochoa as Arlo, the Apatosaurus

Jeffrey Wright as Poppa, Arlo's father

Steve Zahn as Thunderclap, the Pterodactyl

AJ Buckley as Nash, a T-Rex

Anna Paquin as Ramsey, a T-Rex

Sam Elliott as Butch, a T-Rex

Frances McDormand as Momma, Arlo's mother

Marcus Scribner as Buck, Arlo's brother

Jack Bright as Spot, Arlo's human friend





This marks a first time that Pixar has completed a film and recorded all of the dialogue and then re-recorded with a brand new cast. This would also make sense as to why the teaser trailer had absolutely no dialogue in it. This also came after Pixar all but scrapped The Good Dinosaur entirely. We were originally supposed to get the movie last year, but when the studio delayed it to revamp the entire story it resulted in no 2014 Pixar release and two releases for 2015.
I was really excited for The Good Dinosaur until the shit hit the fan... and until seeing the teaser. To me, it looks very subpar for Pixar. The dinosaurs look overly cartoonish and I think dropping the voice cast for, in my opinion, bad voices is a mistake.

Tron 3 officially... not happening

Despite recent rumors surrounding a third installment of Disney's Tron franchise, it appears that Disney decided to take matters into their own hands. The studio announced that there are currently, and possibly never, plans to film a third installment of the franchise.

The rumors were claiming that filming was set to start in Vancouver late this year with Garrett Hedlund and Olivia Wilde returning as well as director Joseph Kosinki returning.

I would have liked to see a third Tron, but oh well. In a way it bugs me but at the same time it doesn't.

Star Wars spin-off #2 is indeed Boba Fett origins

There has been a lot of speculation and rumors regarding what the second Star Wars spin-off is, or was, going to be. I guess Disney decided to spill the beans since Josh Trank "left" the project. Plus it's May the 4th, so here we go.

The second spin-off is confirmed to be a Boba Fett origins story, or at least a story focused on bounty hunters. It's what many people guessed and what a lot of insiders told the internet when the spin-offs were first confirmed. We already had a semi-origin of Boba with Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. We discovered he was an unaltered clone of the Stormtrooper army host, Jango Fett. Boba was left on his own after Mace Windu decapitated Jango in the battle on Geonosis. After that we didn't see Boba until the original trilogy, so there is a pretty big gap of time where this is possible.

This is a bit interesting because Star Wars: Rogue One is basically centered around the birth of the Rebellion and the world of Rebel fighters. Having the second spin-off be about the complete opposite could potentially be a lot of fun. The only question now is who Disney will hire to replace Josh Trank.

Was Josh Trank fired from Star Wars or did he quit?

Just a day after announcing his departure from the Star Wars franchise, there are already rumors about the reasoning behind Josh Trank's decision. Despite his statement giving the impression that the decision was his, there are many speculating that it might have been Disney that gave him the boot.

But why?

Well, the biggest theory is due to the issues behind the scenes of his adaptation of Fantastic Four with 20th Century Fox. There were some issues with Trank's adaptation of the film which, at first, caused a delay of the film's production and release. There's also the matter of the less than thrilling responses the film's trailer has received so far. Writer/Producer Simon Kinberg worked with Trank on Fantastic Four and is on board for the Star Wars spin-offs and sources are claiming that he spoke up to the Disney/Lucasfilm executives about some "unusual behavior" Trank displayed while in development and on set. Apparently he also displayed a lot of uncertainty and was indecisive causing the writers and producers to step in and help him pull his own film together, including taking the reigns for reshoots of the film alongside the film's editor, Steven Rivkin. This behavior very well might have given Disney reason enough to kick Trank to the curb.
Continuing this rumor, sources are claiming that Disney's decision came just prior to the Star Wars Celebration in Anaheim last week. Trank cited illness as reason for him not appearing, but he might have been asked by Disney not to appear. In addition to his absence, there was no mention of him or his spin-off film throughout the whole weekend. You can't use the excuse of not focusing on the spin-offs because Gareth Edwards' had his own panel for Star Wars: Rogue One, starring Felicity Jones, and we got a short teaser for the film.

So what happens now? We are still getting Star Wars: Rogue One in 2016. Trank's film was originally slated for a 2018 release just after Rian Johnson's Star Wars: Episode VIII hits in 2017, but sources are claiming that Disney might shift the second spin-off to 2019. That leaves a gap in 2018 that will have to be filled with something if they want to keep a tradition of a Star Wars film every year. 
There is also no telling what is in Josh Trank's future with 20th Century Fox. We will have the chance to see Fantastic Four in August and a sequel has been announced, but Fox has not confirmed writers or a director for it. That is leading many to believe that Trank might be getting fired or has already been fired from that franchise as well. My guess is Fox is waiting to see what the response will be from audiences before officially hiring Trank to direct the sequel, but if the reception is bad and/or the movie is horrible you can expect him to be kicked to the curb once again.

Personally, I never understood why people gave this guy such big opportunities in the first place. It was all based on his directorial debut, Chronicle, and I'm sorry to break it to you but Chronicle was horrible. It was a classic example of a film that looked great on paper but it was a jumbled mess with a lack of vision and direction. Why Fox even gave him Fantastic Four confused me from the beginning and the issues on set proves that he doesn't belong in the world of blockbusters. I'm glad Disney recognized a problem and didn't take the chance.

Josh Trank exits Star Wars franchise

After some longstanding curiosity about the Star Wars spin-off films, it looks like we might have some changes made to at least one of them as director Josh Trank has exited the project.

Trank had been hired to direct the second spin-off film to follow Gareth Edwards', Star Wars: Rogue One. This comes one week after Trank was not in attendance at the Star Wars Celebration convention in Anaheim, CA. He cited illness as reason for missing the weekend, but with this announcement it might have been a ruse to cover up a problem. This also comes just months before his new adaptation of Fantastic Four hits theaters. After initially expressing extreme excitement, Trank made this statement regarding leaving the franchise:

"After a year of having the incredible honor of developing with the wonderful and talented people at Lucasfilm, I'm making a personal decision to move forward on a different path. I've put a tremendous amount of thought into this, and I know deep down in my heart that I want to pursue some original creative opportunities. That said, the Star Wars universe has always been one of my biggest influences, and I couldn't be more excited to witness its future alongside my millions of fellow Star Wars fans. I want to thank my friends Kathleen Kennedy, Kiri Hart, Simon Kinberg, and everyone at Lucasfilm and Disney for the amazing opportunity and to have been a part of this. May the force be with you all."

Lucasfilm and Disney have already released a statement that production for the spin-off will continue, so I wouldn't be surprised to see a new director hop on board quickly.  

Rumor: Asa Butterfield tops the list for Spider-Man

Rumor has it that Marvel has its frontrunner for the upcoming (new) adaptation of Spider-Man. After Kevin Feige announced they were indeed taking Peter Parker back to high school and they wanted to cast a real teenager, many actors were added to shortlists throughout the internet. Apparently the actor on the top of the list at the moment is 18-year old British actor, Asa Butterfield.

Latino Review, who is notoriously correct, reported that Butterfield is the frontrunner on Marvel's list of potentials; the list also contains Nat Wolff, Tom Holland, Liam James, and Timothee Chalamet. Some insiders told LR that Butterfield had already been cast as Peter Parker, but Marvel is waiting to announce it. Butterfield is no stranger to the screen despite just being 18-years old. His big breaks included being cast in starring roles in both the film adaptation of Ender's Game and Martin Scorsese's, Hugo.

Either way this casting announcement should come soon as the plan is to include Peter Parker in Captain America: Civil War and then have another reboot film for the character by 2017. I have liked Asa Butterfield in what I've seen him in so far and I think he would make a great Spider-Man. We shall wait and see, though. If the internet has gotten the jump on Marvel they might make an announcement sooner rather than later.

Daniel Bruhl to play Baron Zemo in Captain America: Civil War

We learned that Inglorious Basterds actor, Daniel Bruhl, had been cast in Captain America: Civil War months ago but we never got confirmation for which character he'd been cast to play. Bruhl said in a recent interview with The Independent UK that he has been cast as the villainous Baron Helmut Zemo.

If you're not familiar with Zemo, he is the son of one of the top scientists in Hitler's Nazi regime and he directly blames Captain America for the death of his father. Zemo's father, Heinrich, created numerous weapons of mass destruction for the Nazi regime including a large-scale death ray cannon.
He first appeared in The Avengers comics in 1964, so he's definitely a seasoned Marvel character and has been listed on many top Marvel villain lists around the internet. Zemo's abilities include a superior intellect, excellent marksmanship, and extensive training in hand-to-hand combat. Later on in the comic arcs, he was granted superpower abilities of energy, gravitational, and light manipulation. 



Captain America: Civil War is set to begin production this week in Atlanta. It stars Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Elizabeth Olsen, Daniel Bruhl, Sebastian Stan, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Frank Grillo, and Anthony Mackie.

Elizabeth Olsen confirmed for Captain America: Civil War

Looks like Marvel isn't finished with Scarlet Witch just yet. Elizabeth Olsen, who debuts the character in Avengers: Age of Ultron, confirmed that she will reprise the role of Scarlet Witch in the third installment of Captain America, Civil War, next year. She will evidently begin filming her scenes in Atlanta in a couple weeks.

Marvel has yet to confirm Olsen's involvement, but I'm sure a list of character confirmations are coming. Given the involvement required for this Civil War arc, I wouldn't be surprised to see a lot of Marvel actors make cameos in this film. My fingers are crossed for another Erik Selvig appearance or Jane Foster.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens - Second Teaser

Ooh, I am getting pretty excited about this one. I didn't think I was going to be, but I definitely am.

Tron 3 title and schedule revealed?

We received very credible rumors that a long awaited sequel to Tron: Legacy was filming in Canada this summer and there is now a rumor about the film's title as well as a start date.

Word is that Tron: Ascension will start filming in Vancouver this October. The shoot is scheduled to continue until February 2016. The biggest questions include whether Garrett Hedlund and/or Olivia Wilde would return. Also, the question of whether Daft Punk would return to compose the score is another question.
There are also some holes left from Tron: Legacy such as Cillian Murphy's cameo as Edward Dillinger, Jr. and the fact that Rinzler was actually TRON. They could continue on those key points or they could simply think of another way to continue the story. Only time will tell. 

The Russo's to direct Avengers: The Infinity War

Captain America: The Winter Soldier directors, Joe and Anthony Russo, have officially been hired to direct Avengers: The Infinity War - Part 1 and Part 2. This isn't much of a surprise as they also were selected to direct Captain America: Civil War. Also in talks for The Infinity War are screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely. The pair has written scripts for all three Captain America films along with Thor: The Dark World and ABC's Agent Carter.
The Infinity War is going to be the biggest production yet as both parts will shoot back to back in 2016 and 2017. Part 1 is set for a 2018 release while Part 2 is set for 2019. 

A random sidenote, but this also confirms that Joss Whedon is indeed finished with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He previously stated that Avengers: Age of Ultron would most likely be his last Marvel film and that seems to be true. He wants to move on and start doing some more original projects. Sad day.

Beauty and the Beast receives 2017 release date

Disney has finally set a release date for the upcoming live-action adaptation of Beauty and the Beast. The film will hit theaters on March 17, 2017. This release date comes after Kenneth Branagh's Cinderella absolutely crushed it at the box office this weekend.

The studio made a press release emphasizing that the live-action film will accompany "CG Magic," so I would assume that a majority of the characters in the castle will be computer animated to some extent. The studio also announced that Emma Thompson will portray Mrs. Potts and Kevin Kline will play Belle's father, Maurice. They join previously announced cast members Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans, and Josh Gad.

Alexandre Desplat to score Star Wars: Rogue One

Oscar-winning composer Alexandre Desplat has landed the job of scoring the first Star Wars spin-off film. Desplat will score Gareth Edwards' Star Wars: Rogue One and will be the first composer aside from John Williams to score a Star Wars film.

Desplat had a very busy 2014 and created scores for The Grand Budapest Hotel, Unbroken, Godzilla, The Imitation Game, and Monuments Men. The Grand Budapest Hotel won him an Oscar this year and he was nominated for The Imitation Game. He's also been nominated for Best Original Score for Philomena, Argo, The King's Speech, Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and The Queen. I think he's a great addition to the Star Wars universe, but I am nervous that it won't have the same feel that John Williams brings to these films.

Josh Gad joins Beauty and the Beast

We've heard Josh Gad already portray a ridiculously annoying snowman in Disney's Frozen and it seems like the studio isn't finished with him yet. In addition to being confirmed to return for Frozen 2, he just joined the cast of the live-action version of Beauty and the Beast. He will play Gaston's devious sidekick, Le Fou.

He joins existing cast members Emma Watson (Belle), Dan Stevens (Prince Adam/The Beast), and Luke Evans (Gaston). Gad rose to popularity after landing a lead role in the original Broadway run of The Book of Mormon and has since been seen in The Wedding Ringer, Frozen, and is currently co-starring with Billy Crystal on FX's The Comedians.

Fantastic Four 2 delayed one week in 2017

After confirmation that Star Wars: Episode VIII will be hitting on May 26, 2017, 20th Century Fox has decided to shift the sequel to this year's Fantastic Four reboot by one week. Fantastic Four 2 was originally set to hit theaters on June 2, 2017 but the studio wants more of a break between the two films and it will now be released on June 9th.

As it currently stands, Fantastic Four 2 has June 9th to itself but I highly doubt that will hold. Not to mention we haven't seen Fantastic Four yet and there is no telling how it's going to be received. If it sucks and people hate it, Fox might scrap the sequel altogether. Only time will tell.

Fantastic Four stars Miles Teller, Kate Mara, Jamie Bell, Michael B. Jordan, and Toby Kebbell. It hits theaters on August 7th, 2015.

Star Wars spin-off receives an official title

Gareth Edwards' Star Wars spin-off now has a confirmed leading lady and an official title. Star Wars: Rogue One is currently set for a December 16, 2016 release and will star Oscar-nominee, Felicity Jones.

Many are speculating, including myself, that the Rogue One title isn't necessarily referring to a single character but to a ship. Originally the rumor was that the film would focus on a young Han Solo, but with Felicity Jones being cast in the lead role I don't think it will have much to do with Solo. The title also could be referencing the "Rogue Squadron" within the Rebel Alliance. Let's not forget Luke was the "Rogue Leader" for a while.

In addition to this news, Disney also announced today that Star Wars: Episode VIII will be released on May 26, 2017 with Rian Johnson directing. It appears the studio wants to get back to the May tradition Star Wars has always carried.

Disney confirms Frozen 2 is happening

Disney has been quiet about the continuation of Frozen and has even gone far enough to deny that a sequel was in development, but today the studio broke their silence and officially confirmed that a Frozen sequel is indeed happening.

The only information they gave aside from the fact that it is in development is that Josh Gad is returning as Olaf the talking (and annoying) snowman and that Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck are returning to direct. Apparently Disney decided to greenlight a sequel after having such a great time making the Frozen Fever short that is screening before the live-action adaptation of Cinderella.

This doesn't surprise me one bit. I personally hated Frozen and I was hoping the whole thing was going to die out, but I guess that's too much to ask for.

Rumor: Tron 3 shooting this year in Vancouver

VanCity Buzz is reporting that Disney has set plans to finally move forward with the third installment of the Tron franchise. According to the article, production is set to begin in Vancouver this fall with Garrett Hedlund returning as Sam Flynn and Joseph Kosinski returning to direct.

We received the sequel, Tron: Legacy, back in 2010 and pretty much haven't heard anything regarding the third movie since the lackluster reception with both reviews and the box office numbers. Disney is no stranger to dragging their feet on future projects, but if this is true it's assumed that the reason is due to the success with Marvel and the assumed future success of Star Wars: The Force Awakens later this year.
Personally, I wasn't the biggest fan of Tron: Legacy but it wasn't by any means horrible. I enjoyed it for what it was but that was about it. The best part of the movie was the score by Daft Punk, so hopefully Disney could work their magic and get them to return for one more film. It just wouldn't be the same without that music. Also note that a release of a third film would accompany the opening of the new Shanghai Disneyland in China which, coincidentally (?), has a Tron-themed ride being built.

I'm not opposed to a third Tron. I'll go see it if it ever sees the light of day.

Tim Burton to direct Dumbo reboot

Disney still has faith in Tim Burton as it appears he will direct the upcoming live-action reboot of Dumbo. There is no timetable on when this project will be moving forward and if Burton is truly directing, it will have to wait a while. He is currently wrapping Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children and the rumor is his next film will be Beetlejuice 2.
If you've somehow never seen Dumbo, it follows a baby circus elephant who is tormented by others for having large ears. His mother is locked up after trying to protect her baby and he is forced to perform dangerous stunts in the circus. After much humiliation, Dumbo discovers his large ears actually allow him to fly and he amazes the crowds with his newly discovered talent.

Personally, I always thought Dumbo was ridiculously sad so I never liked watching it. Even as a kid it would always upset me. But from what I can remember, I think Tim Burton is an interesting choice. It would be interesting to see a version similar to what he did with Frankenweenie, but if it's truly live-action I would expect something similar to Alice in Wonderland. In other words, an overly colorful CGI dump.